DATE: 5/11/01
BACKGROUND: Today the Federal Register published a "final
rule delay of effective date" for the Forest Service Roadless
rule. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman signed the delay Jan.
29, 2001. The delay pushes the effective date from March 13 to
May 12, 2001.
TEN SECOND RESPONSE: President Bush promised to review all
"hurried last minute" rulings made by the outgoing administration.
This is a rule that would have grave consequences on the health
of our national forests and should be reviewed.

THIRTY SECOND RESPONSE: This is a good decision by the
Bush administration to review the Forest Service roadless plan.
The disastrous wildfires we had last summer burned twice as many
acres in roadless areas as they did in forests with roads. Forest
roads are invaluable tools for controlling fires, as well as the
sustainable logging necessary to maintain forest health. This
plan, formulated behind closed doors, deserves thoughtful review.

DISCUSSION:According to the ruling listed today in the federal
register, the "temporary 60-day delay is necessary to give
Department officials the opportunity for further review and consideration
of new regulations, consistent with the Assistant to the president's
memorandum of January 20, 2001."

As we earlier reported it seems the development of the Clinton
Administration roadless plan was done in violation of open meetings
laws because it was the product of a series of secret meetings
between the Heritage Forests Campaign, the Forest Service, Department
of Agriculture and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
The Heritage Forests Campaign is composed of members from a variety
of "environmental" groups, financed by the National
Audubon Society, using funds from the Pew Charitable Trust. For
a detailed investigative report on how the Heritage Forest Campaign
worked with the Clinton White House to develop the roadless plan,
contact the House Forest and Forest Health Subcommittee Staff
Director, Doug Crandall, at 202-225-0691.

Also, the House Forest and Forest Health Subcommittee has a
study which demonstrates that fires last year in roadless areas
were well over 50 percent more destructive than fires in roaded
areas. Information on this study is available from the subcommittee's
staff director, Doug Crandall, at the above number.

From a legal standpoint, the plan would appear to be in violation
of Title 16, Chapter 2, Subchapter I, Sections 528,529, 530, 531
and 532 of the U.S. Code. And, in the case of Alaska's Tongass
National Forest, Title 16, Chapter 51, Subchapter VI, Section
3213 would appear to have been violated as well.